No Venice vows? Winds of war, protests may spoil Jeff Bezos-Lauren Sánchez's wedding of the century

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez have reportedly been forced to shift one of the key venues for their lavish $48 million wedding in Venice due to escalating global tensions and planned local protests.

According to reports in Il Gazzettino, the original plan to host part of the wedding at the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia was abandoned and moved to the Arsenale district—a more secure and easier-to-control location, given the rising unrest and the threat of demonstrations. The decision, the report claimed citing sources, was influenced by "the winds of war" and concerns over U.S.–Iran tensions, especially since a major U.S. airbase lies just 50 miles away in Aviano.

The three-day celebration, beginning June 26, is already drawing widespread criticism from locals. Activists have accused Bezos of “taking over” the city, with some pledging to disrupt the event by blocking canals and staging protests. On Monday, Greenpeace activists unfurled a large banner in St. Mark’s Square with Bezos’ face and the message: “You can pay more tax if you can rent Venice for your wedding.”

All about the Wedding of the Century

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and one of the world's richest men, is set to marry Lauren Sánchez, a former TV reporter, in a lavish ceemony dubbed as the wedding of the century. The wedding is expected to take place at Venice with many A-listers in attendance.

The New York Times previously reported potential venues include a pagoda on Venice’s Lido beach, the island of San Giorgio, and the Scuola Grande della Misericordia—though that last site may now be dropped from the plan.

The guest list remains confidential, but around 200 guests are expected, including a mix of family, celebrities, and tech elite. High-profile names believed to be attending include Oprah Winfrey, Mick Jagger, Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Eva Longoria, and Bill Gates. Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are also likely to attend, though Donald Trump will not.

The wedding, planned by elite London-based firm Lanza & Baucina—also behind George and Amal Clooney’s 2014 Venice wedding—is estimated to cost several million dollars. Earlier CNN claimed that the ceremony will take place on board Bezos's $500 million superyacht Koru.

Meanwhile, CNN has claimed that the Amazon boss has rented the city’s nine yacht ports for the week leading up to the main event.

Some 200 guests are expected to attend the wedding.